A temporal perspective on area-oriented processes in the Netherlands

Abstract

In November 2022, the Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management sent a letter to parliament proposing a new policy principle to make the water and land system a steering concept in spatial decision-making. Even though it merely constitutes a proposal for the moment, subordinate government bodies such as provinces, municipalities and regional water authorities need to explore what it entails for them and how they could implement it in their functioning. To contribute to the latter, this research addresses the academically underexposed temporal challenge to reconcile the short-term with the long-term in area-oriented processes. This research uses five newly identified temporal strategies in the field of time and governance as means to address this challenge and, in-doing so, puts these temporal strategies to a first reality check. Taking the perspective of water managers, the area-oriented processes Hollandse IJssel Oost, Blauwe Agenda and Toekomstbestendige Polder Lange Weide are first analyzed using the PAA framework. Hereafter, the use of the temporal strategies “Timing”, “Crafting time horizons”, “Pacing”, “Futuring” and “Cyclical adaptation” is evaluated. Based on this evaluation, this research identifies promising action perspectives to connect the short-term to long-term in area-oriented processes. Subsequently, this research highlights that, while some further conceptual development is necessary, the temporal strategies provide an useful critical lens that can help contribute to making the water and land system a steering concept.